The disAbility Coalition held their annual awards luncheon on Wednesday, honoring those who go above and beyond to assist our neighbors with mental health and other disabilities to live in the community, promoting acceptance, and improving resources and services.
The luncheon was especially poignant due to the very recent death of Carlton Spitzer, coalition founder and last year’s lifetime achievement award winner. He and Sister Jeanette Murray of Benedictine Programs and Services, who also recently passed away, were honored with a special moment of silence.
This year, both people nominated for the individual award were from St. Michaels – Debbie Renshaw, Code Enforcement Officer of the Town of St. Michaels and Bridget Whited – art teacher at St. Michaels School.
Bridget Whited was honored with the award, and given proclamations from the MD general Assembly, Senate and Governor. According to Heather Wallace of the Talbot County Public Schools who nominated Whited, Bridget goes out of her way to ensure that all students are actively engaged in all projects, and adapts materials and supplies to fit her students’ abilities. Bridget said “These students taught me far more than I could ever give back to them.”
In the Business category, Jen Heher and Larry Ogden represented Genesis HealthCare at the Pines. Genesis has developed a partnership with Talbot County Public Schools’ Special Education Program to provide vocational training in housekeeping, food services and human services for transitioning students with disabilities. Genesis has hired students for jobs after training, and the staff has embraced the students as regular employees, part of the team. Others nominated for the award include the St. Michaels Community Center and Benedictine.
The big star of the show was Dr. George Rever, honored for a lifetime achievement award. He dedicated his life to providing psychiatric care to children and adults, showing an overwhelming commitment to people with disabilities. One by one, a dozen or more people stood up to thank Dr. Rever for his kind touch, his longstanding support, dedication, skill and understanding. Patients, colleagues and staff – many from decades ago – thanked and honored Dr. Rever, who accepted the accolades with a quiet dignity. The crowd was noticeably touched.
If you know a person with a serious mental illness or disability – or a family member of someone who has a disability – you know exactly how much of a bigger deal every single element of life can be.
Simply dealing with basic activities of daily living – getting up, starting your day, having somewhere to go, being able to contribute meaningfully, being welcome somewhere, just having the ability to focus on something to do that compels one forward – all of these things are constantly in flux for people with serious mental illnesses and other disabilities.
There’s nothing linear about experiencing disability, and “moving ahead with one’s life” is different than it is for you and I. It’s never a straight path; the way twists, turns, circles, goes backward, starts over – again and again.
And successes are harder won.
So goes daily life for many of our friends and neighbors, and when we don’t have a person with a disability or mental illness in our small circle, we forget. And when we do have someone with a disability in our life, we recognize how important those others are who reach out and include our loved ones into the larger world.
Thanks to the disAbility Coalition, those friends and neighbors who do make room for those with disabilities are not only noticed, but honored for this inclusion.
Here’s hoping that we all can keep this in mind as we rush about our days, and keep an open eye out, a welcome, and slow down enough to include everyone in some way.
Overheard at the end of the luncheon – “the only thing missing was Kleenex on all of the tables.” Indeed.
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Kelley Malone says
What a wonderful article covering the disAbility Coalition’s Awards Luncheon– I know, because I was there– Kathy you clearly articulated the heart and soul of our celebration, and the pics turned out great! Thank you Kathy and Talbot Spy for your coverage of this important event.